Information for Booked Travelers

Tours & Packages

Thank you for booking with us! Once you have completed your reservation, you will receive two emails. The first confirms that we have received your reservation and that we are processing any payments and reserving any components which may be on a request basis. When this process is complete, we will send you a second email with an invoice and a final confirmation.

Below is important information about preparing for your upcoming tour, including details about final payments, forms you need to fill out, visa requirements, and our terms & conditions. Please review everything carefully, especially paperwork requirements and payment deadlines.
Please also review your invoice for accuracy. If you have any questions, please contact us as soon as possible.

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Your Tour

Paperwork for Your Tour

For this tour package, you must complete your traveler registration
within 14 days of your reservation or with your final payment, whichever is earlier.
If we do not receive this promptly, your reservation may be subject to additional fees and/or cancellation.

TRAVELER REGISTRATION: A link to this secure form will be included in your booking confirmation email. To complete it, you will need to enter contact information for several people that we can reach in case of emergency, and any passport information you did not submit during the booking process.

PASSPORTS:
Passports should contain at least 2 blank pages and be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. Passports expiring within six months may prevent entry to some countries and should be renewed as soon as possible.

Any changes in names or passport information should be reported to us immediately, and any name changes after you complete your booking and any changes in passport information after you make your final payment may result in additional fees.

VISAS: Travel visas are required for many countries visited on our tours. Please see our listing of visa requirements by country. It is the responsibility of each traveler, regardless of nationality, to determine and obtain the necessary travel documents for each country visited before departure.

DOCUMENT DELIVERY: Your final travel documents will be sent to you via email approximately 14 days prior to your departure. This email will include a copy of your electronic air ticket receipt (e-tickets), the daily itinerary for your tour, hotel and emergency contact information, and any other relevant information for your tour. For those tours with paper tickets, documents will be sent by courier service, with signature required. Prior to delivery, you will receive an email notice with shipment tracking information. Documents delivered outside the continental U.S. will incur an additional delivery charge of $40 if sent by courier service.

Final Payment

If any balance is due after making your booking, you must pay this balance
at least 105 days prior to departure, or within 72 hours of your reservation if you book after this date.
Late payments are subject to a $50 late fee and may result in cancellation of your reservation.

To make your payment by check (including personal check, cashier's check or money order), make it out to Friendly Planet Travel for the amount indicated on your invoice and
mail it to our office address (by overnight delivery, if necessary) so that we receive it by the payment due date.
To make your payment by credit card (including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express), use our secure payment form.

All prices listed are in U.S. currency. Payments must be made in U.S. currency or a conversion fee may apply.

Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend travel insurance coverage to protect your travel investment. Imagine booking a trip of a lifetime, at an incredible price, and then catching a nasty flu just before departure and being unable to travel. If you have protected yourself with travel insurance, you'll avoid the pain of turning your incredible travel bargain into a financial loss.

Our low-cost, comprehensive policies may be purchased with your travel package or any time prior to making your final payment. An insurance certificate describing the policy will be included with your confirmation packet.

If you have already booked and didn't select travel insurance, but now wish to do so, simply pay the full balance on your invoice, which includes this optional premium. If you decide not to take this coverage, please subtract the premium from the balance due on your invoice. Insurance premiums are non-refundable once paid.

NOTE: If you are booking a special interest or group tour which already includes insurance, please see our insurance options available.

Flights

FLIGHT SCHEDULE:
The flight schedule for your tour is included with your confirmation materials.
Please note that flight schedules are subject to change, even after flights have been confirmed, and we are not responsible for such changes.

Be sure to schedule your connecting flights according to the times provided in the flight schedule.
Because schedules can change, we strongly suggest that you leave plenty of connecting time—at least 3½ hours—between flights. If you are traveling during the month of March or mid-October to mid-November, we strongly suggest that you allow 5–5½ hours connection time between flights as the airlines traditionally undergo flight schedule changes during this time each year.

ADVANCED SEATING: Most airlines no longer pre-assign individual seats for groups. Instead, each group is given a block of seats, and individual seats are assigned upon check-in. If you have a seating preference, we urge you to arrive at your departure airport for check-in as early as possible. The earlier you arrive, the better the selection of available seats.

FREQUENT FLYER POINTS: You may be able to earn frequent flyer points on some of our tours. Once you receive your tickets, call the airline directly to enter your frequent flyer numbers in your flight record. As you travel, check with the agent prior to boarding each flight to be sure the frequent flyer information has been entered properly. Keep your boarding passes and passenger receipts, as some frequent flyer programs may require these as proof of your flights. We are neither involved in nor responsible for crediting miles.

Other Important Information

SMART TRAVELER ENROLLMENT PROGRAM: We recommend that all of our travelers who are U.S. citizens register for The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service provided by the U.S. Government. STEP allows you to enter information about your upcoming trip abroad so that the Department of State can better locate and assist you in case of an emergency.

LATE RETURNS: On some of our tour programs, it may be possible to extend your stay post-tour for up to 30 days from your original departure from the U.S. A late return costs an additional $100 per person, plus any applicable difference in fare. Price and space for late returns are subject to availability at the time of booking. Certain restrictions apply.

SPECIAL REQUESTS: If you have a special meal request or require wheelchair or electric cart assistance, please send us your requests in writing. We will forward all written requests to the airlines and our overseas representatives. Once you have received your final travel documents, please call the airline directly to reconfirm your requests. While we are glad to assist our travelers in any way we can, Friendly Planet cannot be responsible for special services not delivered by the airlines, hotels or land operators abroad.

LAND-ONLY PASSENGERS: If you are traveling with us on a "land only" basis, please note that arrival and departure transfers are not included in your tour price. On some tours, individual, private transfers can be arranged at a supplement in price. Taxis and other forms of transportation are also available and may cost less than private transfers. If you wish to arrange private transfers on those tours for which this service is available, please request them at the time of reservation.

OPTIONAL TOURS: On many tours, optional sightseeing tours and evening activities will be offered and should be reserved and paid for directly to your guide, unless otherwise instructed. Your travel documents will contain the most up-to-date selection and pricing for the optional tours for your tour, including payment information. Please note that optional tours are non-refundable once reserved and paid.

NON-INCLUDED MEALS: The hotels used on our tours usually have several dining choices, from coffee shops to specialty restaurants. Prices vary by destination. Please refer to our comprehensive destination guides for specific recommendations for dining. You will find suggestions by type of food served and by cost. For destinations where the choice is limited, your guide or tour manager will provide suggestions for non-included meals. Most hotels and restaurants will accept credit cards for your non-included meals.

CREDIT CARDS & LOCAL CURRENCY: Most hotels and stores accept major credit cards; however, you will need local currency or U.S. Dollars for "street shopping." Many hotels, banks, and exchange shops can exchange cash for local currency. ATM machines are available in most countries, but we recommend that you also bring along cash in small denominations. Most hotels will have in-room safes or safe deposit box facilities. Leave extra cash safely locked away and carry with you only the amount needed for the day. For most destinations it is not advisable to change money before you depart. Almost every airport has money changing offices or booths where you can exchange enough money for the first few days of your trip. You can consult with your guide or tour manager as to the best ways to change money as you travel.

OTHER COSTS & FEES: Changes to your original reservation, such as a change from one departure to another or one tour to another, will result in a $150 change fee per person, per change. Changes to your invoice will result in a $25 per invoice, per change fee. Within 60 days of departure, all requests for changes will be subject to confirmation. Unused services cannot be refunded once the trip has begun. No refund can be made for absence by passengers from any part of the tour. Personal tips are not included in the tour price. We will provide each passenger with suggested tipping information for all of our tours. These suggestions will be part of the final tour documents.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS: Please be sure to visit the "Fast Facts" section of your tour where you will find recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). We suggest that you also consult with your family doctor or travel medicine specialist to find out if there are any special precautions recommended specifically for you.

PACKING FOR YOUR TOUR: Most of our tours & packages allow one checked bag per person, not to exceed 44 pounds, and one carry-on bag per person, which must fit in an overhead bin or under a seat. Certain packages may have additional restrictions depending on the airline and limitations of the motorcoach, ship, etc. You will receive specific baggage allowance information with your final documents, or you may review our Airline Baggage Allowances page, which has information for our various carriers. If you exceed the baggage limits, you may be subject to excess baggage charges assessed by the airlines. We are not responsible for lost or damaged luggage.

QUESTIONS & INFORMATION: Our website is constantly growing with new and valuable information about the destinations you are visiting on your tour. On every tour page, you will find links to useful information about weather, money, health requirements and suggestions, visas and other details. You will find links to pages describing our hotels and cruise ships, and you can read testimony from other travelers who have sent us their feedback, including their photos. We invite you to browse our website and take advantage of the information we provide so that you can better prepare for your travel experience. If you still have questions or require more information about your tour, please contact us by email or telephone. When you write or call, please be sure to tell us your full name, tour name, and date of departure.